Dry Cuticles: What Causes It and How Can I Fix It?

Keeping your nails involves a more comprehensive procedure than simply polishing the nail surface. That's why professional manicures consider your cuticles and nail beds when tending to your nails, and why it can be helpful to keep your hands and overall health well-cared for, even on days when you don’t have time to take time to treat yourself or update your look.

We're here to provide you with salon-quality nail designs without time or cost, but in addition to shiny and smooth appearances, we also want to ensure that your toenails remain healthy and strong for years to come. That's why we are providing you with ways to take care of your toenails and cuticles at home, as well as alleviate nail conditions, like dry cuticles.

What Causes Dry Cuticles?

Sometimes, we've all had dry cuticles. These can be itchy, stiff, and irritating, and cause bleeding or cracking if not dealt with properly. While dry cuticles aren't usually an indication of more serious medical conditions, dry and cracked skin may become vulnerable to infections and inflammation, so it needs to be attended to as quickly as possible.

So that you can treat your cuticle dryness at its source instead of simply treating its symptoms, it’s important for you to determine why you are afflicted with this condition. These reasons are often to blame for your dry cuticles.

You’re Washing Your Hands a Lot

Safe guarding yourself from germs and cleanliness is an important aspect of keeping yourself safe. However, washing your hands a lot may harm your skin and lead to cuticle irritation, especially if the soap doesn't contain any lotion.

If you suddenly begin to experience dryness for no reason, it could be a sign that your hygiene is not well-balanced. Set an appropriate balance for your protection.

It’s Cold Outside

Depending on your age, your skin will most likely be exposed to more brutal cold weather elements. Though your skin may look flaky and cracked, cold temperatures take longer to arrive at the core of your hands. To prevent blistering and dryness, make sure to put on mittens during colder months.

It’s Hot Outside

Regardless of what you re doing, you re much more likely to burn on your back, arms, and legs than on your hands, but it s absolutely impossible. Sunburns on the back of the hand can be painful and itchy, considering how thin the skin is, and they can also result in dryness around the nails and cuticles.

You’re Using a Lot of Hand Sanitizer

Frequent application of hand sanitizer is important to keeping your body safe and protected against illness and viruses. The most effective sanitizers contain alcohol, however, which can lead to dry, itchy skin if used excessively.

Nail Polish Remover and Acetone Exposure

We've designed our nail dip kits so that anyone can enjoy a professional-looking manicure that has no need for a trip to the salon. Our treatments don't damage the nail or require removal with the acetone application included.

While acetone is a relatively safe solvent, large amounts of it are required to remove nail polish. It contains many of the same ingredients as hand sanitizer and dries out your skin over time.

Nail polish is more delicate than undiluted acetone but often uses contain acetone as one of its key elements. Removing your nail polish often may be contributing to your dry cuticles.

Pre-Existing Conditions and Medications

Dryness with cuticles may come from an underlying condition like eczema. If you are treating existing dry skin conditions, their effects may be felt in the cuticles on your hands and feet also.

Certain medications may also contribute to dryness of the cuticle and on other parts of the body. Occasionally, unusual dryness may be a side effect of new medications or medical treatments.

Your Nail Has Suffered Damage

We tend to use our hands and fingers for everything all day long. That makes us vulnerable to assault by movements or activities, which frequently cannot be helped. If your cuticles dry out or crack owing to exposure, it's essential to let them fully recover and perform regular checks for signs of infection or discomfort.

You Bite Your Nails

We often don't realize if we are biting our nails or breaking them off, but this can lead to inflammation or irritation in our fingertips, and even permanent damage to our nails. Picking and biting at the cuticle can cause long-term damage and make our nails more vulnerable to infections and bacteria that get under the skin and cause more serious health conditions later on.

When we bite at our dry cuticles, we also don't let the damaged cuticle heal, which limits its regeneration.

How Can I Fix Dry Cuticles?

It is extremely important to contemplate the root cause of cuticle dryness if you want to understand what is causing your symptoms and how to best treat them. While it is certainly best to discuss doctor visits with your doctor, there are a number of easy steps you can take to manage the symptoms of cuticle dryness at home.

Stay Hydrated

We don't drink enough water throughout the day, and that can lead to quite a few side effects, such as headache, fatigue, and even a weakened immune system. Another drawback of not drinking enough water is that your skin can become dry and feel like powder or even peel off over time.

Get the Right Nutrients

Proper nail care begins in the kitchen. When enough vitamins and nutrients reach the nails over the course of the day, your toenails will be stronger and healthier, and your skin will be as well. Proper nutrition can help keep your nail beds in strong shape and can give you the energy to be active and engaged in the day.

Use Lotion

You can moisturize your skin from inside and out. There are various types of hand and body lotions available to choose from, so go ahead and pick the one that is best for dealing with dry skin on your fingertips and gain the relief you desire.

Use Cuticle Oil

Lotion or moisturizer are useful for protecting your hands, but you can take moisturizing even further by using an aromatherapy essential oil for your cuticles. Cuticle oil can help hydrate and rejuvenate the cuticle, but it also reduces the rate of peeling and splitting so your skin is less likely to sustain damage or irritation.

Pick the Right Products

Many body and hand soaps and sanitizers can exacerbate your skin's drying and irritation, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can find skincare products that offer reliable protection even when you use them frequently. Look for gentle sanitizers and soaps containing lotion to keep your hands and your overall wellness healthy at the same time. Additionally, make sure you re using the proper nail tools and materials for the job when performing at-home manicures.

Use Sunscreen

Sunscreen use is vital to your health, and you should make sure you protect your hands while you are in the sun. When at the beach, never forget to apply sunscreen to your hands.

Wear Protective Coverings

Winter weather is quite harsh on your hands, because your skin may be damaged by dryness and become vulnerable. To ensure your hands avoid dryness and damage throughout the season, it's incredibly important to moisturize them, but you additionally have to guard them against the harshest weather with gloves and mittens.

Leave Time Between Manicures

A long-lasting nail dip manicure shields your nails from damage. Whatever kind of manicure you get, though, you should always give your nails a rest prior to applying the next new look. This will give your nails the chance to strengthen, and it will also reduce the amount of acetone and nail polish remover used.

Avoid Picking or Biting

It can be tough to refrain from picking at your cuticles, and that habit can lead to dry skin and further irritation. Use these resources and tools in your everyday life that can help to limit cuticle-picking.

Taking regular exercise and remaining active help prevent nail biting or nail picking. Other options for handling your cuticles are using a fidget spinner or tool to keep your palms busy.

Keep Your Nails Short

There are several benefits to choosing a short nail style. Not only is it not as time-consuming or labor-intensive over time as other nail shapes, but when you have shorter nails, you're less inclined to damage your dry cuticles. If you struggle with cuticle picking, shorting your fingernails can help reduce nail picking and keep your nails and cuticles healthy and safe.

Get Regular Manicures

Because it takes a while in between manicures for your nails to breath, regular manicures are a great way to keep your nails healthy and your cuticles well-moisturized.

There are many things to consider when choosing your preferred nail color and design, such as moisturizing and treating your hand so it will remain healthy and smooth until it reaches the next manicure.

Conclusion

We strongly support making sure that manicures attain the highest quality possible while remaining affordable and accessible. For this reason, we carry top-quality dip kits and a wide range of nail color choices that make it easy to create exactly the look you're going for. It 's why we re sharing our tools and resources for trying out new nail designs in addition to a manicure you won't want to wait to show off. Our function goes even further. Manicures are a great way to keep nails and skin healthy and looking great, and taking the time to keep nail beds and cuticles clean can make all the difference.

Dry cuticles may cause tenderness, irritation, and pain, and keeping your nails healthy and safe can benefit your overall health in the future. There are many reasons you may be experiencing cuticle dryness, and getting to the root of the problem will help you find the necessary relief. You can fight dryness by guarding your skin against the elements, using appropriate tools for the job, and avoiding biting or picking at your nails.